Mongolia: Gobi Gallop 2020 Screenings Begin in July

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (April 30, 2019) - Do you have what it takes to become one of a Magnificent Ten? Like Kurosawa’s intrepid characters on a noble mission, the Veloo Foundation’s Gobi Gallop pairs 10 riders, screened from 100s of applicants from around the world with Mongolian horses and guides, and gives them 10 days, riding 8-14 hours daily, to traverse 700 kilometers (435 miles) of the wild Mongolian Steppes before concluding with an annual Gobi Gallop Gala.

Julie Veloo, founder of the Veloo Foundation, estimates the continued success since 2013 of the world’s longest charity horseback ride has raised more than $450 thousand dollars for orphans and disadvantaged children in the developing world, and supports operation of Narnii Huuhduud Kindergarten (Children of the Peak Sanctuary Project), serving 150 children from impoverished families who scavenge Ulaanbaatar garbage heaps to survive.

Gobi Gallop rider screenings begin in July and are finalized by October. Fully 50% of each rider entrance fee goes to help three- to five-year-olds entering the charity kindergarten.

Are you warrior enough for the longest annual charity horseback ride on earth? Apply now at www.horsetrekmongolia.com/gobi-gallop and learn more about sponsorships at www.veloofoundation.com.

Australia: Close to 200 entries at Table Top Endurance

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

28 April 2019
Race Report made with the assistance of Tahlia Franke

Oso Arabians, New South Wales, Australia. 19, 20 and 21 April 2019. With close to 200 entries over the weekend Table Top Endurance hosted their third event. The ride was held in southern New South Wales, Australia, at Oso Arabians.

Oso is an Arabian breeding and training facility that specialises in endurance while still demonstrating the versatility of the Arabian horse for other disciplines. The ride was run mainly over undulating farmland and around the Hume Weir. National and FEI events were held, ranging from 40km-120km. All events over 80km run under FEI VGIH rules. This was the first of Australia’s FEI events for the year, giving the opportunity to continue FEI qualifications for horses and riders including those aiming for future championship events. The ride also had an international feels with riders not only from 4 states of Australia but also from Belgium, Hong Kong, Iraq, Scotland and Switzerland...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/close-to-200-entries-at-table-top-endurance/

France: Close finish racing in Lignières

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

26 April 2019
Race Report made with the assistance of Lignieres Endurance

Pole du cheval et de l’ane, Lignières, France. Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 April 2019. The second CEI 3* of the French 2019 calendar, took place last weekend at Lignières in Central France.

The venue has become an established destination for FEI riders under the watchful eye of Christelle Mafille and the Ecurie de Minuit.

The 6-loop CEI 160km was fiercely contended by seven combinations, five of them French. The weather conditions were hot for this time of year and there was a windstorm halfway through the afternoon to further test the combinations!

At the first vet gate, the riders were very close and Julia Montagne took the lead in the first loop with a speed of 18.7km/h, however by the end of the second loop Daniel Thepault moved up into first place where he remained for the rest of the ride...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/close-finish-racing-in-lignieres/

Mother-daughter duo win New Zealand endurance horse riding titles

Stuff.co.nz - Full Article

Jane Matthews
14:44, Apr 23 2019

Pip Mutch was born and bred on what she calls the best hills for horse riding - maybe that's why it's a family affair.

Mutch has been named the New Zealand Endurance Horse Riding Champion after a 160 kilometre, nearly-11 hour ride at the national competition in Taupō at the weekend.

She said the achievement had taken taken decades of work with her mother, and now her daughter...

Read more here:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/112203357/motherdaughter-duo-win-new-zealand-endurance-horse-riding-titles

Saudi Arabia: Prohibited substance case under FEI anti-doping rules

Inside.FEI.org

17 Apr 2019

The FEI has announced a new adverse analytical finding (AAF) involving an equine prohibited substance. The case involves a *Banned Substance under the FEI’s Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations (EADCMRs).

The athlete has been provisionally suspended as both Person Responsible and Trainer from the date of notification until the FEI Tribunal renders its decision. The horse has been provisionally suspended for two months from the date of notification.

Horse: Tra Duncan (FEI ID 104CE66/KSA)
Person Responsible: Mohamed AL JABERI (FEI ID 10063829/ KSA)
Trainer: Mohamed AL JABERI (FEI ID 10063829/KSA)
Event: CEI1* 110 - Al Qaseem (KSA), 09.03.2019
Prohibited Substance(s): Diisopropylamine
Date of Notification: 11 April 2019

Details on this case can be found here.

Endurance advocacy group welcomes reform proposals for discipline

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

April 20, 2019 Horsetalk.co.nz

Clean Endurance, a group which has pushed for reform to rein in cheating, doping and horse abuse within the discipline, says it welcomes the findings of the Endurance Temporary Committee (ETC).

The ETC was appointed by the FEI in October last year in a bid to find solutions to ongoing welfare issues and reputational damage to the discipline, much of it arising from the fast-style desert racing centred on the Gulf region.

It presented its extensive findings this week, on the second day of the FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Clean Endurance said in a statement that it was heartened by the FEI’s expression of its intent to move Endurance to a better place.

The group said cheating, welfare issues and drug use were still rife in Endurance...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2019/04/20/endurance-group-reform-discipline/

The Heart(rate) Of The Matter: Endurance Committee Proposes Significant Changes At FEI Sports Forum

Chronofhorse.com - Full Article

By: Laura Lemon
Apr 18, 2019

“How do we shift the focus of endurance away from racing and more to completion and riding?” was the question at the heart of the endurance discussions at the 2019 FEI Sports Forum, held April 15-16 in Lausanne, Switzerland. In the hopes of pushing forward proposals that would help ground the discipline in its roots, the Sports Forum spent an unprecedented entire day devoted to a single topic.

After years of endurance turmoil, including many horse welfare issues and the cancellation of the championship at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games (North Carolina), the FEI Bureau announced that it had set up the Endurance Temporary Committee on Oct. 22, 2018, to assess the sport through an in-depth review of rules and research.

“We need to bring the discipline back to the principles of the FEI where welfare of the horse and horsemanship prevail,” said FEI President Ingmar De Vos at the time. “The temporary committee will conduct a thorough review of the discipline with the aim of getting back to real endurance riding, with the focus on horsemanship and partnership between horse and human. The sport has evolved, and there needs to be a recognition of that, but the essence of the sport must remain the same. What we need are rules that place greater emphasis on completion of the event, rather than the ‘win at all costs’ mentality that is more and more threatening our sport...”

Read more here:
https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/endurance-committee-proposes-changes-at-fei-sports-forum

New Mind-Set at the Heart of Latest Endurance Reforms

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

April 18, 2019
by: Pippa Cuckson

A complete change in mind-set is at the heart of the endurance reforms presented at the FEI Sports Forum earlier this week.

New measures will require horses and riders to upgrade by demonstrating consistency, with speeds capped at 18kph until they reach a 66% completion rate. This will force a radically new outlook on the younger generation, few of whom have experienced the slower-paced, classic form of endurance. If passed, the new rules will also seriously impact on the practice of racing “strange” horses at the upper levels – the norm in desert endurance.

This and other moves – notably curtailment of mobile crewing, breaking up “cliques” of officials, and emphasis on the horse-rider partnership – are likely to meet resistance from the FEI Group 7 countries (Middle East) in months to come.

The UAE owns or administers 5,403 (56.2%) of the global population of 9,612 endurance horses currently registered with the FEI. At the end of the debates, the Emirati federation’s secretary-general Dr Ghanem Alhajri made an impassioned speech about the likely economic impact of the changes, and their capacity to “punish” by default the owners who invest...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/new-mind-set-heart-latest-endurance-reforms/

Clean Endurance welcomes FEI Endurance Temporary Committee’s suggestions for reshaping Endurance

PRESS INFORMATION FROM CLEAN ENDURANCE
18 April 2019
Immediate Release

Clean Endurance is heartened by the FEI’s expression of their firm intent to move Endurance to a better place. The long list of proposals from the FEI Endurance Temporary Committee (ETC) presented during the second day of the FEI Sports Forum 2019 aims to combat the cheating, doping and abuse still rife in endurance. A large number of the most common abusive and fraudulent practices were documented in the “A to Z guide to spotting Cheating and Abuse” published by Clean Endurance in August 2018. This guide (attached) was produced in response to the many enquiries Clean Endurance receives from spectators, stakeholders and volunteers who are present at competitions and wish to assist the FEI in the fight against violations.

Clean Endurance applauds the emphasis on horsemanship and horse welfare the various members of the Endurance Temporary Committee made the centre of their respective presentations – ensuring these values come back to form the foundation of Endurance is the only way the sport can survive and thrive in the future.

Nearly all of the proposals brought forward by the Endurance Temporary Committee (ETC) have in the past been suggested to the FEI by Clean Endurance, albeit often in more stringent versions. These include qualifying as a combination, imposing minimum weight limits to reduce speeds, limiting the number of starters, imposing longer minimum loop lengths and more phases in the competition, limiting the number of crew members, shortening presentation times and lowering maximum heart rates, not allowing second presentations at Vet Gates, the introduction of tack and blood rules, extending the time limit for reporting rule violations and increasing sanctions for horse abuse.

Clean Endurance encourages and supports the FEI in taking forward the proposals as they stand today, with one caveat: the completion-rate based qualification is potentially cumbersome for Organising Committees and Officials and is thus vulnerable to fraud. Regrettably there are already many recorded examples of falsified qualifying results in our sport. Clean Endurance recommends instead the FEI examine the French ranking system for lower level National rides, which incorporates speed AND heart rate recovery. This system has worked on set speed rides in France for over 20 years, can be easily adopted for free speed rides, and rewards strategic riding and horsemanship without the need for capping speeds.

Clean Endurance has also asked the FEI to be mindful of the unintended potential negative consequences of extending the Mandatory Rest Periods (or ‘Mandatory Out Of Competition Periods’ as the current proposal names them) as they can potentially penalise amateur riders who compete only 1 or 2 horses, as well as the OC’s who put on technical, ‘old school’ rides to cater for this group.

It would also like to see the re-introduction of the 2-hour mandatory waiting period for invasive treatment after a horse has placed at an event. Far too often today, horses are in the clinic hooked up on drips while their ‘victorious’ riders are on the podium receiving their awards. Not allowing immediate invasive treatment will encourage riders to slow down and thus protect the horses.

The details of the many rule change proposals still need to be worked out by the ETC before the consultation process with the National Federations starts in early July.

Clean Endurance urges anyone with an interest in the sport to provide their comments and suggestions to contact.cleanendurance@gmail.com, to the FEI at endurance@fei.org, and to their respective National Federations who will ultimately vote on these proposals at the FEI General Assembly in November 2019.

Clean Endurance is a global collective of volunteers who are committed to restoring the traditional values of their sport. It has an informal working relationship with the FEI: several recent FEI rule changes, procedures as well as sanctions have been developed from matters they have raised.

Clean Endurance is happy to supply links for further reading, including coverage in bona fide news media.

Clean Endurance also welcomes comments and suggestions.
Find them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cleanendurance and contact them through the message button, or email contact.cleanendurance@gmail.com

600 Miles on Horseback: Conquering the Mongol Derby

Practicalhorsemanmag.com - Full Story

JOCELYN PIERCE
NOV 26, 2018

My short-necked chestnut mount darted left around a tuft of shrubby grass, then right, totally out of control and gaining momentum. He stumbled in the soft earth, fell to his knees and grazed his nose on the ground. Without missing a beat, he picked himself up and was off and running at breakneck speed again. It was at that moment that I realized my girth was loose. Gritting my teeth and silently cursing, I grabbed mane and clung for dear life onto my fifth horse of the day. Eventually, the ground flattened out and, by maintaining equal weight in my stirrups, I was able to keep the saddle centered. His frenetic gallop soon became an easy canter. In the fading light, I glanced at my watch and squinted at the horizon. We needed to find a place to stay for the night, and we needed to find it now.

It was the third day of the Mongol Derby, and already I had broken my GPS device, been dragged on the ground by a barely 13-hand stallion, outrun vicious dogs and found myself falling in line with an unexpected group of riding companions...

Read more here:
https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/lifestyle/600-miles-on-horseback-conquering-the-mongol-derby?utm_source=PracticalHorsemanNL&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9dGdVWiQ3YP8RzOsQO2UiEZkf2lNzbM9UNAI8NYBMZL6XMlJfkAD_OnsKA6cWZFK3e9N_11d0YJhxN30Qc8US0XyUelw&_hsmi=69359265

Proposed Endurance reforms tackle cheating, reward good horsemanship

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

April 17, 2019 Horsetalk.co.nz

Endurance cheats are likely to find the terrain ahead much more difficult if the wide-ranging proposals unveiled today by the Endurance Temporary Committee are implemented.

The committee, presenting its much-anticipated findings and recommendations to the FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne, Switzerland, proposed changes which broadly reward good horsemanship and further penalise ill-disciplined riders.

Ideas include the possibility of tests on horse hair, which will be able to detect longer-term abuse of drugs such as anabolic steroids, possible out-of-competition drug testing, and mandatory post-mortem examinations where catastrophic injuries occur.

The chair of the committee, Dr Sarah Coombs, told delegates there was no future for international Endurance within the FEI if everything stayed the same.

“We have no automatic right to practice equestrian sport on an international stage, especially in these days of social media and instant news around the world. We have to bring about positive change if Endurance is to survive within the FEI...”

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2019/04/17/endurance-reforms-cheating-horsemanship/

Major reforms around officials, training proposed by Endurance committee

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

April 14, 2019 Horsetalk.co.nz

It appears no avenue has been left unexplored by the special committee appointed by the FEI to examine ways to reshape Endurance.

The conclusions of the Endurance Temporary Committee, appointed last October in a bid to tidy up undesirable aspects of the discipline, will present its findings on the second day of next week’s FEI Sports Forum.

It is the first time an entire day at the annual forum has been dedicated to one issue.

The committee, which has reportedly received wide-ranging input and met in person several times, has been exploring ways to bring the discipline back to its original roots of Endurance riding as opposed to Endurance racing.

The discipline has been wracked by controversy for years, much of it centered on welfare issues and behavior in the professional desert-style racing seen in the Gulf region...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2019/04/14/reforms-officials-training-endurance-committee/

FEI Session 7: Improvements and innovations to reshape Endurance

Inside.fei.org - watch the session

16 Apr 2019

Proposed improvements and innovations to reshape Endurance, which form the basis of the Endurance Temporary Committee's proposed rules modifications, were presented during the afternoon’s opening session.

Prior to presenting the Committee’s 16 far-reaching proposals, Chair Dr Sarah Coombs referenced the fact that the Committee is also proposing more effective drug sanctions to include extending suspension on horses and to include owners, stating that there is never an excuse for horse abuse.

“Everyone in this room has to agree that the level of drug abuse is unacceptable”, she said. “For me it is the underlying factor in a lot of the issues that we see and we have to all agree that it has to be stamped out.”

Details of the full 16 proposals put forward by the Endurance Temporary Committee are below, along with supporting documents.

Recommendations of the Endurance Temporary Committee for proposed rule changes:

• Qualification from 1* to Championships: based on capped speeds and completion percentage for qualification up through the ranks from CEI 1* to Championships, with free speed only for those with a completion rate of 66% or over (as presented in Session 5).

• Course design: minimum loop length 20 km; minimum number of loops: 6 for 160km, 4 for 120km, 3 for 80km. A 5km distance between crew points and a max 10 km distance between water points.

• Number of crew: limit number of crew to three in crew areas, reinforcing the responsibility of the athlete.

• The role of the trainer: The registered trainer must be at least 18 years old. Substitution of the registered trainer of a horse taking part in an event not allowed after the date of Definite Entries. When a horse has a change of registered trainer, the Horse will not be permitted to compete for 30 days.

• Minimum rider weight: reduce minimum rider weight to 70kg for senior rides of 2* and above (regardless of athlete’s age).

• Maximum number of starters: maximum 200 starters per event subject to venue and appropriate ratio of competitors to Officials; maximum 400 starters per day subject to the same conditions.

• Criteria for test events: ensure smooth running of all Championships test events with requirement to match distance, course, panel of Officials, timing provider, data handling and heart rate monitoring.

• Heart rate parameters and presentation times: GEIS evidence supports 60 bpm in presentation time of 15 minutes; for venues where for the last 3 years, the top 10 finishers have an average speed of 20kph or greater over the same distance, 60 bpm and 15 minutes for all vet gates, with presentation time of 20 minutes at the finish; for venues where for the last 3 years, the top 10 finishers have an average speed of less than 20 kph, the existing rules regarding heart rate and presentation times will apply. At the first vet gate after the halfway point in a ride, horses that present with heart rate greater than 64bpm at the first presentation will not have the opportunity to re-present and will be designated FTQ-ME.

• Implementation of rules on the basis of Horse Welfare: where a rule change is judged to have a clear potential benefit to horse welfare, the FEI Board should require changes to be made if there is a chance that this could make a positive difference.

• Targeted Mandatory out of Competition Periods (MOOCP, currently MRP): longer MOOCP to be applied: additional seven days for horses exceeding the average of 22kph over completed phases; additional 14 days for 2 consecutive FTQ-ME; 6 months following 3rd consecutive FTQ-GA with specific examination protocol before being permitted to start; MOOCPs specifically targeted to musculoskeletal or metabolic serious injury and no longer related directly to immediate invasive treatment.

• Tack/equipment and horse abuse: Specific recommendations regarding permitted tack/equipment to bring Endurance in line with other disciplines.

• Extension of period for reporting rule violations to enable sanctions: extend to 12 hours for making an objection and then 24 hours to provide evidence.

• Increased sanctions for Horse Abuse: increase sanctions for Horse Abuse in line with current review underway by the FEI Legal Department; suspensions to be served within the competitive season of those involved.

• Increased sanctions for removing a horse from the field of play: Six months suspension plus 80 penalty points for first infraction.

• Visible blood: Horses in competition that have free-flowing blood from an injury or from an orifice should be examined by a panel of three veterinarians who will report their findings to the President of the Ground Jury. These horses would be designated FTQ.

• Serious (SI) and Catastrophic Injury (CI) designations: in order to eliminate confusion, the MOOC period that was previously triggered by Immediate Invasive Treatment would now be linked to the SI designation.

Professor Timothy Parkin, member of FEI Veterinary Committee and the Endurance Temporary Committee and who heads up the research programme for the FEI’s Global Endurance Injuries Study (GEIS), had earlier presented several parameters based on the GEIS evidence, which provided the scientific basis for the Endurance Temporary Committee’s proposed rule changes.

Data shows that the risk of failure to qualify (FTQ) can be reduced by a number of factors: increased number of rides as a combination, longer out of competition periods, fewer rides in the previous 120 days, and more loops of similar length in a ride. Professor Parkin also advised that a lower heart rate on first presentation decreases the risk of FTQ at the next loop. Statistics show that a heart rate of greater than 64bpm at first presentation, especially during the second half of the ride, increased the risk of FTQ.

FEI Veterinary Director Göran Akerström had opened the session with a focus on drug abuse, the new hyposensitivity protocol, the Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication strategy for Endurance, post mortem results and injury reporting. The new post mortem protocol now includes forensic investigation which can identify pre-existing bone injury, injection marks and the time of the injection, nerve blocks and the type of substance used. The Veterinary Director also revealed that there are currently three ongoing horse abuse cases in Endurance based on post mortem findings.

Other possible future veterinary actions under the Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Programme (EADCMP) include hair testing, out of competition testing for banned substances, saliva testing after the vet gate, thermography and detection of nerve blocking agents.

Endurance GB to attend FEI Sports Forum on 'Reshaping Endurance

Endurancegb.co.uk

Endurance GB has confirmed that the organisation will be represented at this week’s International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Sports Forum taking place in Lausanne (15-16 April).

The entire programme on Tuesday 16 April, the second day of the Forum, is being dedicated to the sport of endurance and Endurance GB will be represented by Chair, Rebecca Kinnarney and International Chair, John Robertson. The Chief Executive of the British Equestrian Federation, Nick Fellows will also be in attendance.

The Endurance Temporary Committee, which is chaired by former British Team Vet Dr Sarah Coombs, will present over three sessions the work it has done since its creation in October 2018, with what it describes as an emphasis on the Committee’s philosophy for changing the approach of athletes and officials to the sport.

Members of the Temporary Committee include Valerie Kanavy (USA), the former athlete representative on the Endurance Committee, Tarek Taher (KSA), an international Endurance athlete elected by his peers as a member of the FEI Athletes’ Committee last year; Pieter Wiersinga (NED), chef d’équipe of the Dutch Endurance team, a Police Commissioner and former Head of the Mounted Police in the Netherlands; and Dr Tim Parkin (GBR), who was elected onto the FEI Veterinary Committee and who heads up the scientific research conducted at the University of Glasgow as part of the FEI’s Global Endurance Injuries Study (GEIS).

The programme for the day is headed Reshaping Endurance and will cover three sessions between 9am and 3.30pm;

· Qualification of Horses and Athletes: reducing welfare risks;

· Educating Officials and correct application of the rules and

· Improvements and innovations to reshape Endurance.


There will be a two-hour closing session to allow for contributions from delegates.

In a statement, the FEI has said that open dialogue between the Temporary Committee, the FEI and the audience will be encouraged.

Rebecca Kinnarney said: “We are there to represent our members and the values and ethos upheld at every level by everyone involved in the sport in this country and will be robust in sharing our views on the way forward.

She added: “Endurance GB’s core objective is the promotion of a safe sport bringing health and wellbeing benefits to horse and rider through endurance competition and training and we are here for everyone at whatever level they participate. Central to this, the Society exists to promote and uphold at all times the highest standards of horse welfare and clean sport.”

The FEI Sports Forum sessions will be live streamed here.

Australia: Tom Quilty Gold Cup set to triple Imbil’s population

Matthew Sample, joint winner of the 2009 Tom Quilty Gold Cup

MySunshineCoast.com.au - Full Article

Published: 12th of April 2019

Prestigious endurance horse ride brings economic impact of close to $2m to region.

In July this year Australia’s most prestigious endurance horse riding event will come to Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex, expecting to bring over 2,000 visitors to the Imbil area and provide a significant economic benefit for the region.

Over 350 riders and their support crews will converge on Imbil with many expected to stay for five to seven days to best position their horses to complete the challenging 160km ride through the Imbil State Forest.

The economic impact for the region is expected to be close to $2 million based on conservative estimates which do not include the substantial funds being injected into the local economy by event host, Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex.

Complex owner and founder of Stirling’s Crossing Endurance Club Matthew Sample said he was delighted to be hosting an event that would have such a positive impact for local businesses.

“We want to put Imbil on the map as a premier equestrian hub in Australia ― particularly for endurance riding ― and we don’t underestimate the opportunity this provides for local businesses too,” Mr Sample said...

Read more here:
https://mysunshinecoast.com.au/news/news-display/tom-quilty-gold-cup-set-to-triple-imbils-population,58931

FEI Seeks New Powers Over Suspensions and Yellow Cards

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

April 8, 2019 | Comments
by: Pippa Cuckson

Rider suspensions could be applied tactically in future to by-pass the “closed” season, if proposed changes to the FEI legal system are approved.

At present, suspensions for doping and other offences usually commence the date the FEI Tribunal hands down its decision, except where the rider is already provisionally suspended and given credit for time served.

Now the FEI seeks powers to delay the start in certain cases “to deal with those disciplines that have ‘off seasons,’ in order to ensure that the suspension has a real effect.” There have been a number of cases in recent years where an endurance rider has been suspended for six months towards the end of the winter season in the Middle East – the region with by far the worst doping record – and so is back in action by September, in ample time for the next...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/fei-seeks-new-powers-suspensions-yellow-cards/?fbclid=IwAR2T5ya6ZzFsFWlmXchdWm62UtcJFiGKmFQlQULjU-TMelveBxQJUoLTRrg

Qatar: No explanation given for positive drug test in Endurance horse

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

April 10, 2019
Horsetalk.co.nz

An Oman-registered rider whose Endurance mount tested positive for an anaesthetic drug provided no explanation to the FEI Tribunal for the infraction.

Ahmed Mohamed Said Al Balushi had ridden Miss Saularie in a CEI 1* 80km rider in Qatar on February 3 last year.

Miss Saularie, who had an owner based in Qatar, subsequently tested positive for lidocaine and a metabolic byproduct of the drug, 3-Hydroxylidocaine. Both are local anaesthetics also used for the treatment of certain skin diseases.

They are classified as controlled medications under the FEI’s anti-doping rules...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2019/04/10/no-explanation-positive-drug-endurance-horse/

Argentina: Endurance rider did not know about medications given to her horse, tribunal told

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

April 9, 2019
Horsetalk.co.nz

An Endurance competitor who rides as a hobby has been fined 2000 Swiss francs and suspended for six months after her horse tested positive for anti-inflammatory medications.

The Argentina-registered rider, Maria Soledad Jaraba, told the FEI Tribunal that her horse, Lady Ramona, had been stabled at a friend’s property more than 2000km from her home, and that the horse had been medicated without her knowledge by a staff member at the property.

Jaraba had competed the horse in a CEI 1* event in Toay, La Pampa, late in October last year.

The horse subsequently tested positive for phenylbutazone, oxyphenbutazone and dexamethasone...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2019/04/09/endurance-rider-medications-horse-tribunal/

Weed Out Weak Officials, If Endurance is to Have a Chance

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

Cuckson Report | April 9, 2019

It’s seven years since the inaugural FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne – April 2012. I remember it very well, for I was approached during a break by a senior vet who urged me to by-pass the eventing meeting I was heading to, and attend the endurance debate instead.

The endurance, in fact, proved news-worthy indeed. We media (all two of us!) arrived late, but once we’d got our notebooks out, distinguished officials stood up and spoke frankly about doping, cheating and death – many of them clearly directing their remarks towards the press. That, I then realised, had been no spontaneous encounter with the vet over coffee; 2012 was the first “open” conference about endurance since 2007, and it seemed quite a few participants wanted the media there to write it all down, the good, the bad and the (mostly) ugly.

That’s the occasion that piqued my interest in the malaise. I have written extensively about it ever since – as valued readers of my blog know only too well…

Seven years, though: desert racing has now crashed from grim to gruesome. So at the eighth edition of the FEI Sports Forum next week, a whole day is devoted to endurance. We will hear recommendations of the special FEI committee that has slaved away since October on potential reforms, hoping to succeed where previous reviews failed.

The day is entitled “Re-shaping Endurance,” though it might just as easily be called “Last Chance at the OK Corral.” There is not much wrong with existing FEI endurance rules, but there’s a lot wrong with their enforcement. The blind-eye attitude of certain officials owes more to the Wild West than to the military/gentlemanly heritage of the Olympic equestrian sports...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/cuckson-report/weed-weak-officials-endurance-chance/

Qatar: Omani riders shine at Al Shaqab Endurance Competition

TimesOfOman.com - Full Article

April 9, 2019 | 7:53 PM by ONA

Doha: Aisha Al Braiky successfully completed Al Shaqab Endurance Competition for a distance of 100 km at the Marathon Village in Sealine, Qatar. A total of 94 participants from different countries took part in the race.

The competition witnessed the participation of well-known endurance horse riders from various stables of the world. The race was divided into 3 stages; 40 km for the first stage, 35 km for the second stage and 25 km for the third stage/...

Read more here:
https://timesofoman.com/article/1108976/Sports/Omani-riders-shine-at-Al-Shaqab-Endurance-Competition

Northern Ireland: Spring has sprung at ILDRA’s Gosford Ride

Farmweek.com - Full Article

By Bree Rutledge - April 8, 2019

ILDRA (the Irish Long Distance Riding Association) turned out in force at Gosford Forest Park near Markethill on Sunday, March 24. Several CTR (Competitive Trail Ride) and pleasure riders enjoyed the excellent riding conditions, along the meandering woodland trails. Sunshine and warmer temperatures led to the feeling of spring in the air.

David Nealon, MRCVS, performed veterinary duties for the numerous CTR riders and their horses. All CTR riders successfully completed their respective distances with congratulations going to all riders. Experienced endurance rider, Martin McNamara, who has competed internationally at FEI level, completed a 20 mile CTR bringing ‘Sayel Al Khalediah’ to his first endurance ride. Another experienced endurance rider, who has also completed FEI rides, bought a new horse to compete in endurance, with Nicola Boud Tighe on ‘Elan’ successfully completing a 20 mile CTR. Louise Lynn completed her first CTR with ILDRA on the experienced endurance horse, ‘Frandore Al Maury’ – congratulations go to all new horses and riders...

Read more here:
https://farmweek.com/spring-has-sprung-at-ildras-gosford-ride/

Great Britain: ‘Social media at its best’ - missing horse Basil de Mulo is found

EADT.co.uk - Full Article

PUBLISHED: 22:02 07 April 2019 | UPDATED: 08:47 08 April 2019
Mariam Ghaemi

A horse that went missing during a competitive long distance ride in Suffolk has been found following an extensive search.

Basil de Mulo, a grey gelding, parted company with his rider Karen Grieg after she fell during the Endurance GB King’s Forest Spring Ride yesterday.

It happened just under an hour after leaving the venue at Wordwell, north west of Bury St Edmunds.

Police and RAF officers were involved in the hunt, which covered hundreds of miles of forest tracks and heathland.

A spokesman for Endurance GB confirmed on its Facebook page this evening that Basil has been found - on the Elveden Estate between Elveden and Barton Mills...

Read more here:
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/missing-horse-is-found-1-5983185

FEI Responds to Endurance Tack Abuse Photos

Grandprix-replay.com - Full Story

Saturday 30 March - 10h41 | Lulu Kyriacou

The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has responded to internet outrage over photos of an endurance ride that have been the centre of social media outrage.

Thousands of concerned horse people from every discipline, not only endurance, have been commenting and sharing the images originally posted on Instagram (since removed) and highlighted by British journalist Pippa Cuckson. Of particular concern was the image above of the sand encrusted horse wearing a very tightly fastened noseband. Fastening nosebands in this fashion contravenes FEI rules for other disciplines and, for example, in recent months four showjumping riders have been penalised for this breach of regulation. In endurance there is no specific regulation with regard to tack and saddlery, something which te FEI's Endurance Temporary Committee hopes to address at a meeting next month.

​The ride was part of an international festival of Endurance at Al Wathba in the United Arab Emirates, which is part of the FEI's Group 7 area and the centre of much debate in recent years after a series of fatal horse accidents and doping scandals.

​The FEI response (below) to this incident is unusually long and detailed and is encouraging that there might be a new transparency emerging with regard to this particular discipline...

Read more here:
http://www.grandprix-replay.com/uk/article/6097/fei-responds-to-endurance-tack-abuse-photos

No Tack Monitoring in Endurance Raises Welfare Concerns

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

April 1, 2019 | Comments
by: Pippa Cuckson

The FEI has admitted it is difficult to monitor the entire field of play in endurance, and that it welcomes observer intervention, in a letter sent to members of the public last week.

The letter responds to social media furore over severe tack that is the norm in desert endurance. Photos from the recent endurance festival at Al Wathba, the principal venue in in Abu Dhabi, have been shared more than 2,500 times from Facebook – the originals since removed by the photographer.

One image in particular shows Techno de la Bassanne ridden by Hassan Salman al Sabri, in the CEI** 120km, wearing the typical desert arrangement of long-shanked lever bit. There is also very low set, tight grackle noseband, which has caused huge comment and comparison with the strict rules of other FEI sports...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/no-tack-monitoring-endurance-welfare/

Namibia: Stefanus Pienaar Memorial Ride

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

Info@endurance-world.com
30th March 2019

Otjivero Endurance Club, Sandune lodge, Gobabis, Namibia. Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 March 2019. The Stefanus Pienaar Memorial Ride took place on the eastern side of Namibia near Gobabis at the venue of Sandune lodge.

It was hosted by Otjivero Endurance club as a FEI ride with the following distances, CEI1* 80km and CEI2* 120km. The National Federation hosted also distances from 30 to 160km under the FEI rules and regulations.

This ride is one of a kind with two consecutive rides in two days time. It’s been held as totally different rides with separate entries and different horses. It is organized this way to accommodate riders who travel long distances and want to qualify more than one horse for upcoming races later this year.

Otjivero club claimed a very successful ride and a completion rate of 84% . This is remarkable if taking into consideration the extreme weather conditions with soaring temperatures rising over 40 degrees and high humidity on Saturday as well...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/stefanus-pienaar-memorial-ride/